Forum Index > Trail Talk > Washington State Lands Closed to Camping through April 30 Day use areas and trails remain open
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Sculpin
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PostSun Mar 22, 2020 9:17 pm 
Elevating this from Ski's post in "Lands:" OLYMPIA – Today, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks), Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the closure of all state campgrounds across Washington to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Campgrounds will remain closed through April 30. The closure includes roofed accommodations like cabins and yurts. No new campers will be allowed into Parks, WDFW, or DNR lands beginning Monday, March 23. Current campers will be phased out following instructions from land officials. Day use areas and trails remain open. Due to the volume of people visiting Washington's ocean beaches, we are asking the public to avoid those areas. People should continue to practice social distancing when recreating outdoors. State Parks Campers who have state parks reservations through April 30 will be notified and offered a full refund. Visitors can find the latest information about State Park operations at parks.state.wa.us/COVID19. Department of Fish and Wildlife Although camping is not allowed, WDFW wildlife areas and water access areas remain open for public use at this time. However, due to theft and increased usage of their restrooms, visitors should plan to bring their own hand sanitizer and toilet paper. For the latest information about WDFW operations, visit wdfw.wa.gov/about/covid-19-updates . Department of Natural Resources DNR's camping will be closed to dedicated camping areas and dispersed camping or camping outside of designated camp sites. For the most up-to-date information for DNR lands, visit dnr.wa.gov/recreation.

Between every two pines is a doorway to the new world. - John Muir
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Hesman
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PostMon Mar 23, 2020 7:44 am 
I was talking with the park ranger at my local state park the other day and she said there has been a noticeable uptick in people visiting the park. She was a little concerned about keeping the bathrooms clean enough and hopefully not spread too many germs.

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rossb
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PostMon Mar 23, 2020 10:59 am 
Last week I walked through Discovery Park, and the main visitor center was closed. This also meant the bathroom was closed. Meanwhile, there were porta-potties on another part of the trail. That meant people using the bathroom without washing their hands. I understand why the visitor center was closed, but I think the ideal approach would be to open the doors, block off the exhibit part of the visitor center and let people go to the bathroom, assuming they will practice good hygiene.

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Kim Brown
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PostMon Mar 23, 2020 11:32 am 
So long as you don't go around licking people who just came out of the outhouse, which is not a new health directive (so far as I know, ) the only new directive health-wise is to stay 6 feet from them. If you lick them, you're violating that instruction. Don't lick people. People can carry their own sanitizer for their personal hygiene. That has always been the case at Parks when the restrooms with water are closed.

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MyFootHurts
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PostMon Mar 23, 2020 12:21 pm 
Oregon is officially closed. Hikers exempt! See page 3/ https://govsite-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/jkAULYKcSh6DoDF8wBM0_EO%2020-12.pdf

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Hesman
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PostMon Mar 23, 2020 3:19 pm 
The bathrooms at Nisqually NWR were open yesterday, so I guess, at the moment, it’s up to each park on how they want to manage bathrooms being open or closed. And on a side note: no entrance fees were being collected until further notice at Nisqually.

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Luc
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PostMon Mar 23, 2020 3:50 pm 
I took my daughter to the Dose State Park on Saturday for a few days of normalcy (we live in Seattle, which is extremely quiet with noise, but extremely loud with anxiety). I'm glad we went since late last night I caught sight of the rangers putting up the "closed" signs. I'm now wondering about private campgrounds and of course backpacking areas and national park campgrounds. I agree that the closures of these frontcountry areas is due to the uptick in visitation. It's just a bummer that there are less and less options for even a sense of normalcy. Not that I expect it an exemption, but I have always considered my experience with outdoors adventuring an asset to be leveraged in difficult times.

GNGSTR
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Riverside Laker
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PostMon Mar 23, 2020 4:45 pm 
Late last week I got reservations for Sun and Mon nights at Bay View SP this week. Then the camp host came down with the virus. Ah, shucks. I only heard about it through the grapevine, but the next day it was in the news. Well, we all can make sacrifices right now. Many people are making enormous financial sacrifices and adjustments, so a lack of camping for (who knows how) long ain't gonna be the end of our lives as we know it. Same with hiking and bike riding. There's other things to do in life!

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fourteen410
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PostMon Mar 23, 2020 5:50 pm 
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mb
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PostMon Mar 23, 2020 7:58 pm 
Luc wrote:
sense of normalcy
It's not normal. If we truly want to diseases from spreading, people should not travel at all. You may have carried it to the park. Or maybe you carried it from the park when someone else brought it. Now it's in two distant locations. Thus orders like the Skamania order.

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Sculpin
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PostTue Mar 24, 2020 8:01 am 
I had a five-day backpack planned on state land for late in the month, if the closure ends as planned I can delay a week and still go. But as RL wrote, if I can't I will just find something else to do.

Between every two pines is a doorway to the new world. - John Muir
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John Morrow
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PostTue Mar 24, 2020 9:00 am 
Hiking permitted in both OR and WA according to the Stay Home Orders. However, I doubt it includes allowing driving to trailheads across the states. Skamania has made it illegal to be parked at a trailhead in the Gorge. Who's willing to risk driving to other trailheads?

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” ― MLK Jr.
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Schroder
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PostTue Mar 24, 2020 9:14 am 
Say someone infected walks into a porta-potty. They'll touch the outside door handle, the inside door handle, probably the seat, and possibly various points of the walls. They also breathe into the space. They do their business, step outside and then use some hand sanitizer. Do you really think you're not going to get this virus if you go in shortly after, even if you clean your hands? Also, "Stay at Home" means that. Stay at Home.

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Schroder
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PostTue Mar 24, 2020 9:29 am 
In the Herald
Quote:
The state Department of Natural Resources closed campgrounds as of Monday and will be closing all public lands to recreation soon.

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Cyclopath
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PostTue Mar 24, 2020 10:04 am 
Schroder wrote:
Say someone infected walks into a porta-potty. They'll touch the outside door handle, the inside door handle, probably the seat, and possibly various points of the walls. They also breathe into the space. They do their business, step outside and then use some hand sanitizer. Do you really think you're not going to get this virus if you go in shortly after, even if you clean your hands?
Even in the best of times I won't use those portapotties. hurl.gif

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Forum Index > Trail Talk > Washington State Lands Closed to Camping through April 30 Day use areas and trails remain open
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